Friday, 7/14 Quick Hitters

-I have a true dilemma going into Sunday’s final match at Wimbledon. Though I know NOTHING about tennis, I placed a futures wager on Marin Cilic at 24-1 to win the tournament in late-June. Well guess what, he’s now in the final! So help me here…do I hedge or let it ride? Give me your suggestions on Twitter…I need all the help I can get!

-What in God’s name happened to Sammy Sosa? Did the steroids finally catch up to him or does he have health-issues? Either way, this photo of him is SCARY!

Looking back on it, as good a home run hitter as he was in his prime, I think of the incident below when Sammy Sosa’s name is mentioned. Add a strong suspicion of steroids to his reputation…and no wonder he’s disgraced in baseball circles.

-Was I too quick in leaving the 2017 Cubs for dead on Monday? Maybe so. Jose Quintana was a GREAT acquisition from the White Sox on Thursday. But there are several trains of thought when breaking down this trade…

The White Sox got the #5 prospect in baseball in OF Eloy Jimenez according to ESPN’s Keith Law. They also received the next best Cubs minor league prospect, pitcher Dylan Cease. Hard to argue with their return for the southpaw starting pitcher, Quintana.

For the Cubs though, whose opportunity to contend every year should be present through at least 2020, this was a deal that had to be made. As I’ve written before, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey, 40% of the Cubs starting rotation are gone after this season.

Quintana, while not a big name a la Chris Sale, is likely a top-25 starting pitcher in baseball and comparatively his contract is affordable through the end of the 2020 season.

Within a few years the Cubs will be able to restock their farm system by trading away players such as Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Ian Happ, and / or Addison Russell. With big contracts likely coming for cornerstones Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, there is NO WAY the Cubs will be able to pay everyone “market salary.”

I don’t buy this “don’t trade with your city neighbor” logic. Both the Cubs and White Sox ended up very well out of this deal and both fanbases should be pleased.

-With that said, the Cubs might actually have a chance to make the playoffs this season with Quintana and the dependable middle-of-the-rotation starter Kyle Hendricks returning next week.

-Speaking of the Cubs, I was excited about the team winning an award at Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards. But this skit was pretty damn awful. You’re telling me that no current players were willing to accept this award instead?? This being the worst moment of the show the other night…if you make it through the whole clip, more power to you.

-On the other hand, this was probably my favorite moment at the ESPYs. The legend, the voice and his speech to the crowd. Vin Scully…89 years old and timeless.

-This moment was a close second in terms of awesomeness. Seriously, is KD that much of a wuss that he can’t handle some heat?

-A one-liner on each of the local sports teams:

D-Backs: Good team but will never win anything of consequence as long as Fernando Rodney is pitching the 9th inning.

Suns: Josh Jackson and Devin Booker are going to be really good together; the rest of the team…yikes.

Cardinals: Bruce Arians is one of the toughest guys out there on or off the field; many props to him coaching last season through cancer.

Coyotes: Good moves this week with Rick Tocchet and Steve Patterson – but the franchise will continue to be stuck in reverse until a new stadium deal is crafted.

ASU football: Sometimes I wonder if ASU’s players tune Todd Graham out; his holier-than-though act has to be wearing thin among some.

UofA Football: RichRod better be find a dynamic QB from his trio (Dawkins-K Tate-D Tate) or he’ll instead be looking for a realtor in Tucson sooner than later.

-Sorry fellow UofA basketball fans, I would be shocked…I mean SHOCKED if 2018 #1 player in the nation Marvin Bagley went to UofA next Fall. He lives in Southern California and I full expect him to be a UCLA Bruin when all is said and done with his recruitment. With that said, Sean Miller is still doing a fantastic job turning Arizona into the “Kentucky of the West” by masterfully recruiting players.

-I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Mike & The Mad Dog last night and agree that together they were the pinnacle of sports radio. I like Mad Dog Russo a lot and listen to his SiriusXM channel often but Francesca on his own, to me, is nothing special. Don’t be surprised if, when Mike Francesca leaves WFAN at the end of this year, the duo reunites in 2018 on satellite radio. If so, they’ll give Howard Stern a run for his money in terms of popularity.

-Is it wrong that with the British Open coming up next week, I can’t seriously get enough of this video? Imagine going into the 72nd hole of a major tournament with a 3 stroke lead and then doing this…British announcer Peter Allis’ commentary from 1999 makes it all the better.

– I want this autographed for my birthday next February – who can make it happen??